Photo-lithographer



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WATKINSON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE L. CANDEE &; CO.

RUBBER BOOT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,783, dated January 20, 188,0.

Application filed December 3, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEO. WATKINSON, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in India-Rubber Boots, and I do hereby declare the following', when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a'full, clear, and exact description of the 1o same, and which said drawing constitutes part of this specification, and represents a sectional side view.

This invention relates to an improvement in the method of lining india-rubber boots.

Y In the usual construction the felt or woolly surface-lining extends throughout the interior of the leg and footI In the wear of the boot this lining acts upon the heel of the stocking, and soon cuts or wears it away, to the annoyzo ance and discomfort of the wearer. To obviate this difficulty, leather or similar material has been introduced to form the lining around the heel; but .the process of vulcanization necessary to complete the boot tends to harden and so affect the leather as to cause it to wrinkle and crack. Again, the leather will easily absorb. the moistureproduced by perspiration, and cause the heel to stick and make it difficult for the wearer to remove his 3o boots-another source of great annoyance to the wearer.

The object of this invention is to overcome these difticulties; and it consists in the introduction of an india-rubber lining around the 3 5 heel portion or counter of the boot, either in side the usual lining, or the lining cut away to the extent of such rubber counter-lining, and as fully hereinafter described.

' The general forni and makefup of the boot 4o is the same as that in general use, too well lmade from india-rubber. In mak-ing up the boot this india-rubber counter-lining is placed 5o around the heel part of the form and next to it, and itslower edge turned down onto the insole, which has been irst placed upon the last, and, as seen in the drawing, the placing of the other parts upon the form and the finishing of the hoot are proceeded with in the usual manner.

This construction places around the heel a lining which is not injured by the vulcanizing process, but is very smooth, and the moisture 6o unavoidably produced in wearing the boot tends to prevent the heel from sticking, instead of to make it stick, as in the case of leather or material other than rubber, and also avoids the usual wear of the stocking.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I do not broadly claim lining the counter of the boot with a material different from the lining of the rest of the boot; but

As an improved article of manufacture, a rubber boot provided with an india-rubber counter-lining extending around the inner heel portion, as shown and described., and for the purpose specified.

eEoEeE, wArkiNsoN. 

